Wednesday 15 June 2011

We're going to the zoo zoo zoo....

How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo.



See the elephant with the long trunk swingin'
Great big ears and a long trunk swingin'
Snuffin' up peanuts with a long trunk swingin'
And we can stay all day!












Well we stayed all day and I'm gettin' sleepy
Sittin' in the car gettin' sleep sleep sleepy
Home already gettin' sleep sleep sleepy
'Cause we have stayed all day.

We been to the zoo zoo zoo
So have you you you
You came too too too
We been to the zoo zoo zoo

(from'Going to the Zoo' by Peter, Paul and Mary


Isn't my husband handsome? :)


And I think I'm just the belle of the ball. :)

We had a fun day. This was Squidge's choice for her birthday treat. The Saturday before her 7th birthday we went to Build a Bear and she made a lovely rabbit, we met Hello Kitty, had some balloon animals made and went to McDonalds for tea (NOT my choice, we tried to persuade Squidge that another eating establishment would be preferable, but she was adamant). The weekend after her birthday she wanted to either go to the beach or Chester Zoo. The weather made the beach an unattractive prospect so the zoo it was.

I'm in two minds about zoos. Chester Zoo has a great conservation scheme, but I still dislike seeing animals in captivity, especially the big cats. Although the lions just spend all day snoozing, the jaguars seemed distressed to me walking round and round and round. There are a multiplicity of arguments for and against zoos. The aim of conservation schemes in zoos is to maintain population of endangered animals and then reintroduce them to the wild at some point, but as Born Free point out this doesn't always work. Tigers, apparently, have never been successfully reintroduced to the wild.

But, for me, I think zoos like Chester Zoo are a useful and important (but imperfect) way to protect certain species. Hopefully, though, a better method of animal conservation will be found and promoted. I do love to see the animals, but always, always, feel a bit uncomfortable.

POINT OF INTEREST: I really don't like monkeys/apes/chimps. I try to like them, but they creep me out. Lock 'em up I say, they're plotting the downfall of mankind!

I jest, I jest.

Pip, pip!

Edit: my husband has just made the point that one of the birds on display at the zoo is extinct in the wild, which is an example of a zoo maintaining the existence of a species. Though, whether the bird happy to be alive in the zoo is perhaps another story.

7 comments:

Melissa said...

I have mixed feelings about zoos too.

I've read that the eating and lifestyle habits of animals dictate how well they tolerate zoo life - bears and other grazing type animals that wander and look for food all day don't do as well (especially those that have large territories). Whereas glutton eaters (those who gorge and then sleep) do much better. So the great cats who gorge and then sleep all day are happier than bears.

It can be terribly hard to dissuade a seven-year-old - it gets easier as they get older, I think. Nine going on ten is a tiny bit more reasonable.

You took some great pics, btw.

Sarah said...

Every time we have visited the lions are asleep! I don't think there are any bears at Chester Zoo, there were some red pandas that we didn't get time to see, but otherwise no bears.

Annecourager said...

You have capybara!! My favorite.

My favorite things to watch at our local zoo are the siamangs and the gorillas. I like the great apes, but do NOT like the little monkeys. Those are creepy to me.

Zoos have improved so much since I was a child. The animals used to be housed in concrete boxes or slabs with metal bars and reinforced glass. Their prison living quarters have at least taken on the flavor of their natural habitats these days.

Okay, so it's like putting leaves into the jar to make the bug more comfortable. But hopefully, if we can study and learn about these animals in captivity, that can translate to greater help for those still in the wild.

That's how I rationalize it to myself, anyway.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who has mixed feelings about zoos. As Annecourager said zoos have dramatically improved since my childhood but still.....

Looks like a fun day was had by all. I couldn't believe y'all are wearing jackets in JUNE, wow!

Sarah said...

Lol Anne C - I took the capybara picture for you! :) I knew you'd like that one.

AQGL - it's quite chilly and very rainy this month!

Anonymous said...

I like zoos! I love seeing the animals. I see I have much to catch up on myself blogging. I've been so busy I haven't gotten around to everyone.

Sarah said...

I like zoos too, just have this nagging guilt about them.

I've been quite prolific in my blogging recently! :)